Adjustable headlight.



PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

F. G. LYON.

ADJUSTABLE HEADLIGHT.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED lN0\T.29, 1905.

y PATENTED MAY 22, 1906. F. C. LYON.

ADJUSTABLE. HEAD'LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. Z, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FRED C. LYON, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE HEADLIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed November 29,1905. Serial No. 289,647.l

To all whom vit may concern.-

Be it known' that I, FRED C. LYON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates. to adjustable head- I lights for vehicles, and more particularly to -justable' forks.

adjustable headlights for automobiles; and it 'consists in the novel arrangements and construction of parts so that the same may be applied to any automobile irrespective of 4the fact that the steering-knuckles are in front or behind the front axle, and it may be attached' without the drilling or boring of holes, all parts being so constructed that they can be readily attached and detached.

It further consists in means for adjusting each light1 separately, so that either may travel at a slower or faster speed than the other, thereby deflecting lights at different angles from the longitudinal axial line of the car,or the same may the same speed or on the same angle.

It further consists in adjustable forks for retaining the lamps, wherebyl lamps of various diameters may be used by a mere adljustment of the forks.

I am aware that there are numerous headlights so arranged that the light ywill follow the road or track and not the lon itudinal line of the carframe or body; but believe myself to be the first to construct one so'adjustable that it mayT be applied to any automoblle provided with -knuckles either forward or rear of the front axle. I believemyself t o be the first to so arrange the parts'that the llghts may travel .at different an les and also in providing adjustable forks to of various diameters.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an automobile with my device attached, the steeringknuckles being forward of the front axle. g. 2 isa side elevation ofthe forward left =axle, hub, and knuckle and desi edto show the arm used when the steerin` uckle is in the rear of the front axle. ig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the lamp-brackets and designed to show the 'forks in extended'and partially-contracted positions. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the brackets, turned at 'right angles. Fig' 5 is a vertical section `of one ofthe lamp-brackets and adbe adjusted to travel at t lamps showing the gearing and forks l Fig. 6 is a cross-sectionon' ment to the the line 6 7 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction ofthe arrow at 6. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line 6 7 of Fig. 5 of the arrow at 7. Figs. 8 tional views at right angles one of theuniversal joints. Figs. 10 and 11 are 'similar views of the universal joint, and Figs. 12 and 13 are similar views of a third joint.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 14 represents a car-body as a whole set upon the frame 15 carrying the usual springs 16, axle 17, wheels 1 8, steering-knucklesv 19 and 20, and connecting-rod 21.l Attached to any suitable portion of the car by means of the brackets 22 and 23 are the lamp-brackets 24 and 25, each consisting of an outer casing 26, a

and 9 are elevarod 27 within said casing capable of revolving j therein and beingprovided with cone-bearings 28 and 29. Covering the upper bearing is a cap 31, the top of which is provided with a ratchet-face 32, upon which rests one of the forks 33 and 34, the lower one provided with a ratchet-face 35, adapted to register with the ratchet-face 32.' Said-forks` are provided' with an aperture adapted to register with each other and with the threaded portion 36 ofthe rod 27, one of said forks having a countersunk portion 37 and other of said forks an annular boss 38, adapted to register with the countersunk portion, whereby each fork may be moved separately, and a nut 39 secures the forks in proper relative position.,

Secur'ed to the lower portion means ofi a nut 40 is a gear-wheel 41 of any desired size intermeshing with 'a segmental gear 42, secured to the bracket by means of the offset portion 43 and bolt 44, each being a ertured to receive said bolt. Attached to t e segmental gears 42 are levers 45 and 46, the outer ends of which pass throu h collars 47 and 48 and are secured therein y means -of the set-screws 49; These collars are connected by a. rod 50, which has a pivotal connection at. 51 in a horizontal plane with the collar 47 anda similar connection at 52 with collar 48. A connecting-rod 53 has a unversal-'oint connection 54, Figs. 8 and 9, at one en with the lower side 0f collar 47 and a similar connection 55, Figs. 10 and 11, with the knuckle-connectingrod 21 of the main steering-gear. It can thus readily be seen that la movement of the vconnecting-rod 21 will move the rod 53, `which in turn will'mov/sl the rod 50, thereby a lateral movelevers connected to the segof .rod 27 byv looking in the direction to each other of Iro mental gears, which intermeshing with the gear-wheels 42 will give a movement tothe lamps corresponding tothe angle at which the Wheels are turned. When it is desired to vhave one -la'mp .turn at a greater angle than the otherfit is'accomplished by sliding either of the collars forwardof the other on their respective rods, the angle of the lamp beingl increased or diminished according to the position of the collar.

, lmuclrles are back of theforward axle, an arm 57, Fig. 2, is rovided, being adapted to pass under the a e and connected at one end to the steering-knuckle by any suitable means,

as shpwn at 58, and to theeonnec'ting-rod, preferably as shown at 59.

. From the above description it can be seen that my device Vcan be readily applied to any automobile irrespective of the'position of the steering-knuckles and attached without into the car. j i can be further seen that various modiications and changes might be made in my e nstructivon, such as variations in the size of t e gears, methods of securing the connect-' ing-rodsy to each other, the attaching of the lamps 'to various portions of the car, and the securing of the lamps in proper relative position. j

- Therefore, without limiting myself to the precise details of, construction set forth in my specification, I claim- 11. In combination with the steering apparatus of a vehicle anda plurality of rotatable lamps, of adjustable connections between said'steering apparatus and said lamps whereturning movements of unequal extents j substantially as described.

The combination with .the steering ap- When the steeringparatus of a vehicle, and a rotatably-supported lamp-actuating rod, of a gear-wheel en said rod, a lever having a segmental gear engaging said gear-wheel, and a connectingrod'connected to said lever and steering apparatus'by universal-joint couplings, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the steering apparatus of a vehicle, .and a rotatably-sup@ ported lamp-actuating rod, of a gear-wheel on said rod, a lever having a segmental gear engaging said gear-wheel, ajcollaron said lever adjustable lengthwise thereof, 'and a connecting-rod connected to said collar and steering apparatus by universal-joint couplings, `substantially as described.

5. The combination with the steering apparatus of a vehicle, and a pair of rotatablysupported lamp-actuating` rods, of 'gear-l 'wheels on said rods, levers having segmental gears engaging said gear-wheels, a vconnecting-rod between one of said levers and said steering apparatus, and another connectingj rod between said levers, substantially as de-y scribedr l 6. The combination with the steering apparatus of a vehicle, and a pair of rotatablysupported lanfip-actuating rods, .ofgearwheels on said rods, levers having segmentalA gears engaging said gear-wheels, collars on said levers adjustable'lcngthwise thereof, a Aconnecting-rod pivotally connected to one of said collars and said steering. ap aratus, and another` connecting-rod pivotal y connected to said collars, substantially as described.

7V. The combination with the steering apparatus of a vehicle, and a pair of rotatablysupported lamp-actuating rods, of i gearwheels on said rods, levers having segmental gears engaging said gear-wheels, collars on saidlevers adjustable lengthwise thereof, a

connecting-rod connected to one of said collars and said steering apparatus by universaljoint couplings, and another connecting-rod pivotally connected to said collars, substantially as described.

p FRED C. LYON.

Witnesses: Y

WALTER M. FULLER,

FREDERicK C. GOODWIN.

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